French Gendarmerie unveils Alpine A110 police cars

UPDATE, December 21, 2021: The French National Gendarmerie has taken delivery of its first two Alpine A110 police cars.

Shown off in deep blue with bright, fluro accents, it would be unlikely for any French motorists to miss the A110 in their rear-view mirrors – even if it was coming up at a great rate of knots.

Interestingly, the cars ordered are riding on 18-inch wheels rather than the base 17-inch alloys of the entry-level A110 upon which the police car is based, having recently been updated last month.

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The story to here

October 22: French drivers will have to think twice about running from the cops, with the national military police adopting the Alpine A110 into its fleet.

The National Gendarmerie police force has placed an order with Alpine for a total of 26 A110 Pure sports cars for highway patrol duties, set to replace its ageing group of Renault Megane RS hot hatches.

“These vehicles will allow the police to carry out interventions on the motorway, involving high-speed infringing cars, as part of road safety or judicial police missions,” a statement from the country’s Ministry of the Interior read.

According to newspaper L’argus, the police force had originally planned to replace the Renault Megane RS with the Cupra Leon – a Spanish brand owned by the Volkswagen Group – but public backlash resulted in the decision being reversed and the contract being awarded to Alpine.

The Gendarmerie has a long history of using Alpines – using both the original A110 and A310 in previous years – but rumours suggest it’s just the beginning of the relationship, with the latter set to introduce both an SUV and a four-door model in future.

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Above: Gendarmerie's Alpine A310. Source: Wikipedia.

The A110 Pure is powered by a mid-mounted 1.8-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, sending 185kW and 320Nm to the rear wheels through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

The vehicles will be fitted out with sirens, radio equipment, and the Gendarmerie’s trademark blue beacon light by specialist company Durisotti.

The Alpine A110 was recently axed from the Australian market, following the introduction of new side-impact safety regulations.